I don’t think of myself as a girly-girl. I am not a huge shopper, no obsession with shoes, I hardly wear make-up and spend little time on fashion trends. But there are some things that are personal requirements for me in order to portray a feminine and professional look.
- A pedicure. Gnarly, dry feet and toes in sandals are simply gross.
- A manicure. Now, this one is new to me as I just started getting them done. The reason I never bothered?My nails were always chipping and bitten so what was the point. Well, the point is that manicures mean your nails won’t chip and you won’t bite them. It doesn’t have to be a professional one but hands look a million times better when they have had a little TLC.
- Cover the gray. I started going gray young so I started covering my gray young. I don’t want to look old before my time. But, I also don’t want to be an 80 year-old blonde like my grandmother. There will come a time when I will embrace the salt-and-pepper but for now, I am holding on to my youthful brown.
- Hair management. Now this one’s a BIG one and it gets bigger as one gets older. I am, by nature, a hairy person. I am dark therefore my hair is dark. This means a lot of work has to be done in this area to maintain the smooth. So, below I have shared a few strategies I employ aside from the regular shave.
Tweezing:
Every teenage girl should be gifted a set of tweezers when she enters womanhood. Each morning I pull out my tweezers and snag a few stray eyebrows before applying my mascara. Tweezers are also great for getting access to those one or two unwelcome gray eyebrows. However, if you are regularly tweezing for more than maintenance you need to consider moving up the evolutionary hair management ladder to this:
Waxing or Threading:
I was into the threading for a few years but then I just couldn’t handle the pain. It hurts and, in my opinion, it hurts more than waxing. I usually go for an eyebrow wax every 4-6 weeks and use my tweezers for maintenance in between. A professional will give you nice, evenly shaped eyebrows which you are unlikely to get if you do it yourself. I used to also do regular bikini waxes too until I discovered this:
Laser:
I will be honest, as I got older my bikini area acquired a mind of its own and decided to mount a hostile invasion on my upper thighs. Waxing or shaving caused ingrown hairs and didn’t last very long so I took the leap and tried laser. Although definitely on the uncomfortable side, after 5 or 6 sessions it has made a world of difference. I will occasionally need to deal with a few strays and have had to go back once or twice but I have had no more ingrown hairs and overall the results have been fabulous.
Epilator:
This one is a recent addition to my hair management regimen and I only tried it because I was sent the Philip’s SatinPerfect Epilator to try. I admit, I was reluctant but I am so glad I tried it. I am not giving up my other tried and trues but this product has been added both to my maintenance list for legs, bikini, and underarms (a bit ouchy there) and is helping me deal with another hair challenge – the upper lip.
No self-respecting woman wants a mustache and the older you get the more likely you are to have to deal with this issue. In my opinion, threading and waxing are simply too painful and leave major red marks. Laser may work but is a big commitment and you can’t have a tan when you do it (I do not set out to tan but even a slight summer sun-kissed look is a no-go). So, I gave it a try. Honestly? It was not pain-free but it was quick and it worked. Plus, there was hardly any redness or irritation. I did get one little ingrown hair that looked like a pimple but once I started exfoliating when I washed my face it was no problem. And once you’ve done it once the maintenance part is really easy.
What about you? Share your tips and tricks below and you could win a Philips’s Epilate SatinPerfect for yourself!
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